Hello, everyone. Before I go any further I must tell you I am on a mission and I will not rest until I have completed it. I am searching for the person that STOLE THE SOUTH AND MOVED IT UP NORTH. I will find my beloved WARM SOUTH and restore it to its proper place. We southerners were not made to endure cold weather but rather to enjoy hot weather.
I have been away from my blog for too many months. It wasn’t because of illness or personal tragedy. I went back to work fulltime for an attorney. Let me just be honest and say that after working all day, the lure of my recliner has been winning over blogging. Every night the same song and same verse played – “tomorrow I will get back to my blog”.
However, let me tell you that I have written some really remarkable and inspirational blogs – in my head. I just never got around to writing them down them. Those blogs written in my head were full of true pearls of wisdom and inspiration and were a tremendous loss to the world. By the way, I also have a bridge for sale in the middle of the desert. We are truly legends in our own minds or at least I am when I rate those blogs that never made it to the screen. Ha! Ha!
Getting back to the lure of the recliner, I have found a “must have” to go along with the recliner. I finally purchased a SLANKET. That is the original throw with sleeves. It is 95” long and wider than the others. For those of us that have very long legs that extra length is wonderful. Even in the South now that we have been stolen and dropped in the north, this winter is cold!!!!!. I both love the young man that came up with that idea and hate him. Such a simple idea, but I never thought of it! He deserves every dollar he makes off the Slanket. Smokey and Gracie (my four-legged children shown above) love it as much as I do. I am sure they spend a lot of time on it alone when I am not home.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are on their way to having a great year. I just have this unshakable belief that this is going to be a “Rock Star” year in spite of the tragedy that has just occurred. I think people are going to come to their senses and will get control of their anger. That we will once again be the kind and civil people that we really are. Some wonderful words of wisdom that were shared with me by a very wise woman a long time ago on what anger really is will be the subject for another day. That wisdom has enable me to understand anger and really examine what is going on with me when I feel angry. Maybe it will be helpful to other people.
Things look much better for us on the Gulf Coast than last year. We are still fighting the oil and will be for many years to come. It’s like a bad penny that just keeps popping up again and again. People are still fighting a battle to get the money they are owned from BP. Most of them have not received any money since June. A lot of people that have gotten a small amount of money had to sign away their right to sue in the future. Mr. Feinberg is not a real popular person here now. He chose the holidays to really push people to sign away their rights. We are not sure who he is actually working for – us or BP. We lost businesses that will not be back – small businesses that cannot recover from the level of loss they sustained. However, life goes on and you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Hurricanes have taught us that is all you can do.
I have more I want to write but I consider this my “getting my toes wet again” blog. I look forward to keeping up more closely with what’s going on with fellow bloggers. I have followed my regulars but not as close as I was at first (that rotten recliner again holding me hostage to it and the Slanket). I will overcome both the recliner and the Slanket – I shall prevail and once again take control of my life.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Oil Spill Desperation
This will be a short post just to update our situation which took a turn for the worse. When I turned on the news this morning they were covering a protest in Bayou La Batre, a fishing community in Mobile, by quite a lot of shrimpers. They were blocking cleanup boats from getting out into the coastal waters. One man was arrested. They were protesting the fact that even though they signed up for the Vessels of Opportunity at the start of this, they had never been called to work. The problem is that out-of-state people from all over the country, recreational boaters, and sailboats were being hired. Very few of the local fishermen and charter boats have been hired.
These local fishermen know these waters like we know the layout of our homes. They know the currents, the depth of the water at various places, and all the places that are dangerous. They are all self-employed and not eligible for unemployment (at least I don’t think they are). They don’t have a way to make a living and feed their families. BP had promised them that they would be hired. BP doesn’t have much credibility here.
Our local employment agencies have only been able to place a few people on the cleanup. An agency out of Texas is doing almost all of the hiring. There are a lot of Texas people working here on the cleanup.
Reality is this thing will not be stopped before late August and probably September, if they are lucky with the relief well and divert the oil. Other countries require that relief wells be drilled along with the main well. The United States does not require that.
In addition to that the blade being used to cut the pipe today kept getting stuck causing delays, and allowing even more oil into the ocean. Just a few miles off shore you can put a fishing net into the water and bring up oil the consistenty of cornbread batter. The tar balls are washing up on the beaches. These tar balls are sticky and can collect objects in the water such as medical waste. It just gets better and better. DRILL, BABY, DRILL.
I sure am hoping for some good news to post soon. Please pray for these people who have lost their ability to make a living. These are people who have fished these waters for generations.
These local fishermen know these waters like we know the layout of our homes. They know the currents, the depth of the water at various places, and all the places that are dangerous. They are all self-employed and not eligible for unemployment (at least I don’t think they are). They don’t have a way to make a living and feed their families. BP had promised them that they would be hired. BP doesn’t have much credibility here.
Our local employment agencies have only been able to place a few people on the cleanup. An agency out of Texas is doing almost all of the hiring. There are a lot of Texas people working here on the cleanup.
Reality is this thing will not be stopped before late August and probably September, if they are lucky with the relief well and divert the oil. Other countries require that relief wells be drilled along with the main well. The United States does not require that.
In addition to that the blade being used to cut the pipe today kept getting stuck causing delays, and allowing even more oil into the ocean. Just a few miles off shore you can put a fishing net into the water and bring up oil the consistenty of cornbread batter. The tar balls are washing up on the beaches. These tar balls are sticky and can collect objects in the water such as medical waste. It just gets better and better. DRILL, BABY, DRILL.
I sure am hoping for some good news to post soon. Please pray for these people who have lost their ability to make a living. These are people who have fished these waters for generations.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Oil Spill Blues
Thank for your kinds comments about the oil spill. I have not felt like posting for while now. I worked the oil spill for a few weeks. As bad as I hate to admit it, I just could not keep up the pace. Guess that means I really am old. It is amazing how so many people from so many different organizations have come together and are working together. The hours are killers - 12 hour shifts for 7 to 14 days - and yet people are able to work with positive attitudes and consideration for others. Amazing how something like this can bring out the best in people. I met people from all over the world.
Unfortunately, it is much harder for those of us who live here to keep a positive attitude. If you look at the projected path, by Thursday it will be headed right into Mobile Bay and knocking on our door. It will be at Gulf Shores, Alabama (one of the most beautiful beaches in the world) and Pensacola Beach (equally as beautiful). Bernie said it best when she said “the beaches are like white sugar and the water was so blue”. We have been blessed that it has stayed away this long. Unfortunately Louisiana has not been that lucky. We know what we are in for. We have seen what it has done to Louisiana already. The sense of hopelessness is apparent in the eyes of people and the way they walk. We have known from the first day what this would do to our beautiful coast. Knowing the waters here we knew it was coming.
Yes, we are angry - angry because this should not have happened. Our elected officials let us down and greed is at the bottom of this. When will we learn that greed for money is truly an evil thing? We cannot let the oil companies police themselves. They only have one agenda and that is money. We have seen that they have not been honest about this from the start. Nobody can say with certainty just how bad the damage will be in the end. One thing that is certain is that innocent people’s lives are being destroyed right along with our beautiful coast and eco systems.
This entire country will feel the effects of this just as we have all suffered the effects of Wall Street and the amazing greed of those people. How can anyone justify this? Every time I listen to BP officials I remember the comment made by a top official from the safety of England. He said the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf was but a drop compared to all the water in the Gulf. I think this clearly demonstrates the fact that they don’t care what they have done. They care about how it will affect their bottom line. How is that an excuse? The damage is not a drop. It would not be a drop if it was in the middle of the ocean - it is still a killer.
I am sorry that this is neither a positive nor an uplifting post. I said in my first post that I was doing this as a way to record my feelings about things that I feel are important. I did not do it to gather hundreds of followers. I an very grateful and blessed by those that follow my post. Their comments reinforce that there are many people that share my feelings. Their comments are a positive and healing force for my soul. When I visit your blogs I am blessed to see so many beautiful pictures that talented people capture of this wonderful creation we were given to live in everyday. May God bless each of you.
At the end of the day there is only one that can fix this mess. How very angry he must be with us and with our lack of gratitude for the blessings we were given.
Unfortunately, it is much harder for those of us who live here to keep a positive attitude. If you look at the projected path, by Thursday it will be headed right into Mobile Bay and knocking on our door. It will be at Gulf Shores, Alabama (one of the most beautiful beaches in the world) and Pensacola Beach (equally as beautiful). Bernie said it best when she said “the beaches are like white sugar and the water was so blue”. We have been blessed that it has stayed away this long. Unfortunately Louisiana has not been that lucky. We know what we are in for. We have seen what it has done to Louisiana already. The sense of hopelessness is apparent in the eyes of people and the way they walk. We have known from the first day what this would do to our beautiful coast. Knowing the waters here we knew it was coming.
Yes, we are angry - angry because this should not have happened. Our elected officials let us down and greed is at the bottom of this. When will we learn that greed for money is truly an evil thing? We cannot let the oil companies police themselves. They only have one agenda and that is money. We have seen that they have not been honest about this from the start. Nobody can say with certainty just how bad the damage will be in the end. One thing that is certain is that innocent people’s lives are being destroyed right along with our beautiful coast and eco systems.
This entire country will feel the effects of this just as we have all suffered the effects of Wall Street and the amazing greed of those people. How can anyone justify this? Every time I listen to BP officials I remember the comment made by a top official from the safety of England. He said the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf was but a drop compared to all the water in the Gulf. I think this clearly demonstrates the fact that they don’t care what they have done. They care about how it will affect their bottom line. How is that an excuse? The damage is not a drop. It would not be a drop if it was in the middle of the ocean - it is still a killer.
I am sorry that this is neither a positive nor an uplifting post. I said in my first post that I was doing this as a way to record my feelings about things that I feel are important. I did not do it to gather hundreds of followers. I an very grateful and blessed by those that follow my post. Their comments reinforce that there are many people that share my feelings. Their comments are a positive and healing force for my soul. When I visit your blogs I am blessed to see so many beautiful pictures that talented people capture of this wonderful creation we were given to live in everyday. May God bless each of you.
At the end of the day there is only one that can fix this mess. How very angry he must be with us and with our lack of gratitude for the blessings we were given.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Update On the Horror Story
Here is a portion of a news report on the effects of the oil slick on the Gulf Coast. Once again, the price is just too high.
"The Gulf Coast and its marshlands are home to hundreds of species of wildlife, including manatees, sea turtles now about to nest, dolphins, porpoises, whales, otters, pelicans and other birds. The wetlands are also a stopover for millions of migrating birds.
The Gulf is also one of the world's most fertile seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters, mussels, crabs and fish. It supports a $1.8 billion industry second only to Alaska."
"The cost to Louisiana's fishing industry could be $2.5 billion and the impact on tourism along Florida's Gulf coast could be $3 billion, estimated Neil McMahon, analyst at investment firm Bernstein."
This report originated from Louisiana and does not include the billions impacting the fishing industry and tourism in Alabama. Those will probably come close to being equal to Louisiana. Alabama is not as well known for these industries as Louisiana but they are huge here as well. The price is just too high.
"The Gulf Coast and its marshlands are home to hundreds of species of wildlife, including manatees, sea turtles now about to nest, dolphins, porpoises, whales, otters, pelicans and other birds. The wetlands are also a stopover for millions of migrating birds.
The Gulf is also one of the world's most fertile seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters, mussels, crabs and fish. It supports a $1.8 billion industry second only to Alaska."
"The cost to Louisiana's fishing industry could be $2.5 billion and the impact on tourism along Florida's Gulf coast could be $3 billion, estimated Neil McMahon, analyst at investment firm Bernstein."
This report originated from Louisiana and does not include the billions impacting the fishing industry and tourism in Alabama. Those will probably come close to being equal to Louisiana. Alabama is not as well known for these industries as Louisiana but they are huge here as well. The price is just too high.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Please Pray For Us
As most of you have probably heard there is a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The news tonight said the oil rig is leaking 5,000 barrels a day or 210,000 gallons or the equivalent of 23 tankers. If the leak cannot be stopped it can go as high as 2 million barrels a day. Our beautiful Gulf is dotted with oil rigs. Some of you probably have figured out that I live in the South. Mobile, Alabama to be exact and if you have never been to the Gulf Coast you don’t know how absolutely beautiful it is. Our beaches are pristine white and the water is crystal clear blue. We have two fishing communities that still have not recovered from Katrina and now this. Our sister states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida are in this boat with us. If this leak gets worse our entire coast lines can be a risk. Unemployment here is 11% - that will probably get better because of this but the price is just too high. But the bump in employment will be washed out by all the businesses that will go under because of this. Our animals and sea life will suffer so much. It will take years for us to regain what we have now, if we can. However, there will be things that will be lost forever. I may not see it again in my lifetime.
There are already numerous people in all 3 states battling this; however, the weather is not helping we will have thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow and the water is so rough they are having a hard time putting out – sorry I can’t remember what they called them, but they look like really long canvas bags – I will just call floats. They are supposed to prevent the oil from getting to shore. The rough water will enable the oil to jump these. People are ready to start rescuing animals. How do wash the oil off of a dolphin or a whale or the fish, oysters and shrimp? How many birds and other animals will die before they can be rescued? The Gulf Coast is going to pay a high price for all the gas that we use with no thought to the fact that it is destroying so much of our earth. We are already losing so much in the production of more oil. If we used that same effort developing affordable alternatives and living more green we would not be destroying the beautiful creation God gave us.
We roll with hurricanes. That is Mother Nature, but this is because of man’s refusal to care for the world we were given and that just makes me angry. If we are not careful out grandchildren and their children will not have the abundance and beauty that we so easily take for granted. This will affect more than just the Gulf Coast; it will affect this whole country. BP oil will get their money back at the gas pumps. It is costing them $6-7 million a day now and price is going much higher because they will have to pay for the entire cost and for the businesses that go under. Gas pumps will be how they get the money back. The price is just too high.
It is my prayer that this will get people’s attention and makes then realize that with abundance and beauty there is an inherent responsibility to protect it at all costs. It cannot be replaced. The thought of what this is going to do to my home state and the entire Gulf Coast and all the beauty that exists here makes me cry. Cry because of the loss and the frustration because this did not need to happen. We as a country are better than this. We will lose things that will be gone forever. The price is just too high. The first price was the loss of the 11 lives that were on the rig when it exploded. Those lives are lost forever. For what? So that we can once again drive our huge gas drinking SUV’s and give no thought to conserving anything. The price is just too high.
Pray for us and start with the families of the 11 lives that were the first casualty of this horror story. As you go about your life give a thought to trying to live green because we can’t get in our SUV’s and go to Wal-Mart and buy another earth.
I don’t mean for this post to sound angry, but I am angry. This did not have to happen. Yes, let’s drill in Alaska and destroy that too. There are alternatives. We put a man on the moon – we can do this. The people need to start a grass roots effort to make government officials make alternative fuels a priority and not just give it lip service to get themselves re-elected.
God bless each of you and pray for us. Thank you.
There are already numerous people in all 3 states battling this; however, the weather is not helping we will have thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow and the water is so rough they are having a hard time putting out – sorry I can’t remember what they called them, but they look like really long canvas bags – I will just call floats. They are supposed to prevent the oil from getting to shore. The rough water will enable the oil to jump these. People are ready to start rescuing animals. How do wash the oil off of a dolphin or a whale or the fish, oysters and shrimp? How many birds and other animals will die before they can be rescued? The Gulf Coast is going to pay a high price for all the gas that we use with no thought to the fact that it is destroying so much of our earth. We are already losing so much in the production of more oil. If we used that same effort developing affordable alternatives and living more green we would not be destroying the beautiful creation God gave us.
We roll with hurricanes. That is Mother Nature, but this is because of man’s refusal to care for the world we were given and that just makes me angry. If we are not careful out grandchildren and their children will not have the abundance and beauty that we so easily take for granted. This will affect more than just the Gulf Coast; it will affect this whole country. BP oil will get their money back at the gas pumps. It is costing them $6-7 million a day now and price is going much higher because they will have to pay for the entire cost and for the businesses that go under. Gas pumps will be how they get the money back. The price is just too high.
It is my prayer that this will get people’s attention and makes then realize that with abundance and beauty there is an inherent responsibility to protect it at all costs. It cannot be replaced. The thought of what this is going to do to my home state and the entire Gulf Coast and all the beauty that exists here makes me cry. Cry because of the loss and the frustration because this did not need to happen. We as a country are better than this. We will lose things that will be gone forever. The price is just too high. The first price was the loss of the 11 lives that were on the rig when it exploded. Those lives are lost forever. For what? So that we can once again drive our huge gas drinking SUV’s and give no thought to conserving anything. The price is just too high.
Pray for us and start with the families of the 11 lives that were the first casualty of this horror story. As you go about your life give a thought to trying to live green because we can’t get in our SUV’s and go to Wal-Mart and buy another earth.
I don’t mean for this post to sound angry, but I am angry. This did not have to happen. Yes, let’s drill in Alaska and destroy that too. There are alternatives. We put a man on the moon – we can do this. The people need to start a grass roots effort to make government officials make alternative fuels a priority and not just give it lip service to get themselves re-elected.
God bless each of you and pray for us. Thank you.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day and AHA Moments
I had a major AHA moment a couple of weeks ago that I have been wanting to write about, but I will get to that one later. I want to talk about the big one from today. I was watching Oprah. She does an Earth Day show every year and I really enjoy them. Today she had the people on that won the Oscar for the movie The COVE. I am glad she did. They showed a portion of the movie and I know I can never watch it....I am too much of an animal lover. The Cove is about....in case there are other that don't know....the slaughter of dauphins in a cove in Japan. They slaughter 20,000 a year. The showed enough that the water turned bright red from the blood. How can anyone kill a dauphin? The meat has so much mercury in it from polution that is not really safe to eat anyway. There is a petition on their facebook page you can sign that will be taken to President Obama and the top man in Japan asking that this slaughter be stopped. I hope that all my blogger friends will sign and help get the word out so this can be stopped. I am including a link to their page where you can just click at the top of the page where it says sign.
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
One of the men that has been on a mission to save dauphins for I think 20 years is the man that caught and trained FLIPPER. He said that Flipper changed his attitude about dauphins. She died in his arms. He said she killed herself. It seems that dauphins do not automatically breathe - they have to do it consicoulsy. He said she had been depressed and took a breath and looked him in the eyes and did not breath again. Now I know some of you will say "yea, right". But we already know how very closely dauphins resemble humans and I have always known that animals are far more intellegent that most people think they are. There have been so many true stories of dauphins saving humans. I think we owe them.
Since this is a long post I will save my other AHA moment for my next post. I have not been posting a lot lately, but I have been try to keep up with you guys. Have a great evening. Let me know what you think of the two heartbeats that live with me.
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
One of the men that has been on a mission to save dauphins for I think 20 years is the man that caught and trained FLIPPER. He said that Flipper changed his attitude about dauphins. She died in his arms. He said she killed herself. It seems that dauphins do not automatically breathe - they have to do it consicoulsy. He said she had been depressed and took a breath and looked him in the eyes and did not breath again. Now I know some of you will say "yea, right". But we already know how very closely dauphins resemble humans and I have always known that animals are far more intellegent that most people think they are. There have been so many true stories of dauphins saving humans. I think we owe them.
Since this is a long post I will save my other AHA moment for my next post. I have not been posting a lot lately, but I have been try to keep up with you guys. Have a great evening. Let me know what you think of the two heartbeats that live with me.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Reconnecting With Dear Friends
This has been a beautiful and blessed weekend for me. I was able to re-connect with a very dear friend. The last communication I had from him was over a year ago. I kept his e-mail in my in-box for over a year. At that time I did not have internet at home. Everday I would see it and say I am going to reply today, but as usual I would get busy and another day would go by. I found his e-mail address at home. Now that I have internet at home I decided to try and see if he still had the same e-mail address. He did and we have been swapping e-mails and catching up.
As we go through life we meet so many people. Some will just be an acquaintance, some will become friends and a precious few will become very dear friends. The kind that you can open up to and that will support you during good times and bad times. Marion is that kind of friend. We have been friends for about 20 years and I never tire of talking with him. He has supported me through some of the high points of my life and the low points. He is a very rich person - rich in friends - even though I doubt he realizes just how many friends he really has. He is a kind and compasionate man who is very humble. He always has time to listen and somehow can always say the right thing at the right time.
I am posting this blog in gratitude for the blessing of having him as a very dear friend and re-connecting with him again.. I won't let him get away again. Friendship survives time and distance when it is a true friendship. Another blessing we sometimes forget to be grateful for. To all the good friends in all our lives - you are valued and loved.
As we go through life we meet so many people. Some will just be an acquaintance, some will become friends and a precious few will become very dear friends. The kind that you can open up to and that will support you during good times and bad times. Marion is that kind of friend. We have been friends for about 20 years and I never tire of talking with him. He has supported me through some of the high points of my life and the low points. He is a very rich person - rich in friends - even though I doubt he realizes just how many friends he really has. He is a kind and compasionate man who is very humble. He always has time to listen and somehow can always say the right thing at the right time.
I am posting this blog in gratitude for the blessing of having him as a very dear friend and re-connecting with him again.. I won't let him get away again. Friendship survives time and distance when it is a true friendship. Another blessing we sometimes forget to be grateful for. To all the good friends in all our lives - you are valued and loved.
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